- Title: UKRAINE: Ukrainian officials say civilians used as human shields by separatists
- Date: 23rd May 2014
- Summary: KIEV, UKRAINE (MAY 23, 2014) (REUTERS) MYKOLA VELICHKOVICH, DEPUTY INTERIOR MINISTER OF UKRAINE, MYKOLA GOLOMSHA, DEPUTY PROSECUTOR GENERAL OF UKRAINE AND VALENTYN NALYVAICHENKO, CHIEF OF SECURITY SERVICE OF UKRAINE (SBU) AT A NEWS CONFERENCE MEDIA (SOUNDBITE) (Ukrainian) VALENTYN NALYVAICHENKO, UKRAINE'S CHIEF OF SECURITY SERVICE (SBU), SAYING ABOUT VOLNOVAKHA SHOOTINGS: "A group of saboteurs, terrorists in fact, drove in three cars, again, hiding behind civilians, using them as "human shields," and just shot at Ukrainian soldiers. It is another military crime. People, including foreigners, Russian citizens, who have already confessed and have taken the blame for these military crimes will stand trial." CAMERAMEN (SOUNDBITE) (English) VALENTYN NALIVAICHENKO, UKRAINE'S CHIEF OF SECURITY SERVICE (SBU), SAYING: "We will make every effort, as the representatives of the Ministry of Interior said, to ensure security during the vote and that it is peaceful and transparent for all Ukrainians. No military or other operations are planned so far (on election day)." MORE MEDIA (SOUNDBITE) (Ukrainian) MYKOLA VELICHKOVICH, DEPUTY INTERIOR MINISTER OF UKRAINE, SAYING: "In order to protect 32,000 polling stations, the Interior Ministry of Ukraine will have more than 55,000 officers from the Interior Ministry, almost 11,000 employees of the State Service to deal with emergencies, as well as soldiers of the National Guard and senior cadets from educational institutions of the Interior Ministry, and more than 16,000 activists." CAMERAWOMAN AND JOURNALIST NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS
- Embargoed: 7th June 2014 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Ukraine
- Country: Ukraine
- Topics: Conflict,Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA8S5PWYT06TL5EMG88M9FABL1Z
- Story Text: Ukraine's chief of Security Services (SBU) on Friday (May 23) accused pro-Russian rebels of using civilians as human shields near Volnovakha where at least 13 soldiers were killed on Thursday (May 22).
Speaking at a press conference in Kiev, Valentyn Nalyvaichenko would not be drawn into the details of the worst attack on Ukrainian soldiers in the east since operations to flush them out of Donetsk and Luhansk began.
"A group of saboteurs, terrorists in fact, drove in three cars, again, hiding behind civilians, using them as "human shields", and just shot at Ukrainian soldiers. It is another military crime. People, including foreigners, Russian citizens who have already confessed and have taken the blame for these this military crimes will stand trial," Nalyvaichenko said.
Thursday's (May 22) devastating attack, which took place just three days before the presidential elections, suggested there would be no let up in the violence in the run up to the vote which separatists have vowed to disrupt.
On Friday (May 23) in Karlovka, about about 15 km (10 miles) west of Donetsk, violence continued when a firefight lasted more than three hours, according to locals.
Kiev's pro-Western government hopes the election will help stabilize Ukraine after mass protests toppled Moscow-backed president Viktor Yanukovich in February, but the separatists have vowed to prevent the vote going ahead in eastern towns where they have seized control.
Nalyvaichenko said the security forces had no plans to carry out what they call special Anti-Terrorist Operations (ATO) on election day.
"We will make every effort, as the representatives of the Ministry of Interior said, to ensure security during the vote and that it is peaceful and transparent for all Ukrainians. No military or other operations are planned so far (on election day)," he said.
Deputy Interior Minister Mykola Velichkovich said security would be ramped up to ensure that elections would go smoothly throughout the country.
"In order to protect 32,000 polling stations, the Interior Ministry of Ukraine will have more than 55,000 officers from the Interior Ministry, almost 11,000 employees of the State Service to deal with emergencies, as well as soldiers of the National Guard and senior cadets from educational institutions of the Interior Ministry, and more than 16,000 activists," he said. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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